Preston - The Board of Education would save more money by cutting back on outsourcing for school bus repairs and driver training than by replacing the local drivers and mechanics with an outside bus transportation firm, the local union representing drivers and mechanics wrote in a proposal to school officials.

The board's contract with the Connecticut State Employees Association-Service Employees International Union (CSEA-SEUI) Local 2001 allows the board to seek bids for outside school bus transportation services and to conduct a feasibility study on whether that would save the town money. The contract also allows the union to respond with an alternative proposal.

The board received bids in December from Dattco Inc. of New Britain and Student Transportation of America (STA). In a feasibility study analyzing the bids, school administrators projected operations savings of just $19,602 over the three-year period of the contract, but would save in the long run by avoiding the need to buy new school buses to replace the town's aging fleet. The current capital improvements plan includes bonded money to replace three of the town's oldest school buses.

Replacing the remaining large buses over time is projected to cost approximately $1 million, according to a note at the bottom of the bid analy sis by school Finance Director Greg Schuyler.

The union response claims the board could save an estimated $50,000 per year by cutting back on outsourcing of repairs and training and reducing in-house management.

Board of Education Chairwoman Jan Clancy and Superintendent John Welch both declined to comment on the union's proposal or whether the board would consider outsourcing school bus transportation.

The Board of Education will discuss the school bus feasibility study, the bids and the union response in executive session at tonight's special meeting at 7 p.m. at the Preston Veterans' Memorial School. Clancy said until that discussion, she could not comment on whether the board will be ready to vote on the issue following the executive session.

The board is scheduled to vote on the proposed 2015-16 school budget tonight, which does not include any changes to the school bus transportation contract.

In the union's response, CSEA-SEIU Director of Organizing Kevin Mercik said the union could not address costs incurred by the town through the bus bonding, but argued that the Board of Education could save 30 percent per year by reducing outsourcing of some bus repairs and allow in-house mechanics to do more of the work.

The union also argued the board is overestimating annual maintenance costs. The proposed budget includes $130,000 per year for bus maintenance, but the union letter said actual expenses thus far this year total just $35,000. And since the town is planning to replace older buses, maintenance costs should be much lower, the union representative wrote.

The board also has a state-certified driver trainer, and should use that person to conduct driver training rather than send drivers out of town for training.

"CSEA believes that there may be an opportunity for the board to raise additional revenue by making training services available to other school districts, companies and/or individuals," the union response said.

The third cost-saving proposal called for the board to reduce the full-time bus coordinator's position to part-time. The full-time salary is projected at $58,014 in the proposed 2015-16 school budget. The union called employing a full-time manager to oversee 16 drivers and one mechanic "excessive and wasteful," and said many of the "essential functions" are already being done by nonmanagement staff.

The final proposal asks for the creation of a labor/management committee that would include members of the Board of Education - "preferably members of the transportation subcommittee" - to identify other cost savings in the Preston bus transportation program.

c.bessette@theday.com

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